Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

Its so easy to pick one in the supermarket I found that if I organise myself and make things in batches and freeze, it takes a lot of the stress out of getting home from work and making everything from scratch for my family of 4

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

In the spirit of competition for the world's best lasagne, pastamaker is asking for advice about making the dish completely from scratch and IMHO, that's how to achieve the 'world's best' title. I use jars of sauce and pasta sheets when I don't have time to make it all from scratch and the choices are excellent, of course, but homemade is going to win that title over jars and dry pasta sheets, especially when the other competitors are Italians with cooking experience. Emily, I love any lasagne, from-scratch or otherwise, what time is dinner?

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

Yes homemade pasta... still not doing it myself. I just buy the best quality dried I can afford, but I do buy fresh lasagna sheets... I use them for lasagna of course, but also cannaloni.

I know, I know, Im an everything from scratch person, but for some reson I just can get my head around this one.. well now that Im able to purchase some semolina I might finally get around to it.. must buy a pasta machine too.. Im a little worried about using one of these too..

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

MrPab says:

now come right out of that corner frizz, remember this thread is about a competition for the best lasagna on earth, i can reveal (since MsP is in the kitchen) that she's never made homemade lasagna sheets (she has made lots of other kinds of homemade pasta), but of course if she was in the contest she'd give it a shot! We do make the homemade sauce a lot, but also are big fans of the jar: Organic Miur Glen and Walnut Acres are favorites.Now she's just heard what I'm posting and wants me to tell you she's going to make homemade lasagna sheets tomorrow!!

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

pastamaker wrote:

Help I need some advice please ...I need to know how to make the best Lasagna in the world in three weeks. Not just good but a piece of truly perfect hand-crafted pasta perfection!

The reason why ...Last saturday I made a statement to a good friend (after a few too many) that I could make the best Lasagna ever. In fact, I went as far as stating that I could make a lasagna better than any Italian...

...my good buddy mentioned this in passing to his Italian mates, Mario and Frankie, that this new zealand chap (thats me) has laid down a Lasagna challenge.They're taking this seriously and are getting help from their family and friends in Elba/Italy, and the first challenge date has now been set three weeks from now - NZ vs. Italy.

Does anyone have some great tips for making 'the' very very best pasta and Lasagna? So far, for the pasta, I've got a recommendation of 110 grams of organic pasta flour to one large free range egg. Is that the absolute best way?

For the sauce I've got recommendation of using a traditional meat sauce but add chargrilled red peppers and marinated cherry tomatoes to give it a little twist, but again if anyone can help that would be great.

Would dearly appreciate any advice on this - I really want to win this challenge.

Thank's for checking out this post,

Mark

As much as this might piss people off, surely there are better places to go for consultation purposes vis-a-vis being challenged to create the perfect lasagne than a Jamie Oliver site. First, there are better chefs, second, there are better chefs who specialise in Italian food, third, he doesn't reply to that many posts.

Moreover, you're not really aiming to make the world's best lasagne, you're just aiming to make one that's better than any made by your mates, which would require people here (answering your predicament) to know what the palettes and subjective views on Italian food are like.

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

I think you're in exactly the right place for tips pastamaker.. there are plenty of Italians in these forums, and I bet most of them have mammas or nonnas who make better lasagne than any chef, no matter how many michelin stars (yawn) they have!

Don't try to be too clever about it, just buy the best ingredients you can find and make the simplest recipe - thats what an Italian would do..

..and yes, about 100g flour to 1 medium egg is a good ratio to start with.. make sure you use fine pasta flour (type 00) and maybe even half half pasta flour and fine semolina flour for extra colour and flavour...

Forget the red peppers and cherry tomatoes, just make sure you make a nice bechamel sauce (infuse the milk with bay, pepper, nutmeg and onion first), use half veal, half pork for the meat, and dont add too much tomato!

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

Thats good advice Pete, I had not thought about using pork and veal , (although veal is not so easy to come across these days.), and I have to admit that I have never infused the milk with flavours before I made the bechamel sauce, for making a lasagne. I shall try this.

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

TheBeast2 needs to re-read the original post again...

It reads :

Does anyone have some great tips for making 'the' very very bestpasta and Lasagna? So far, for the pasta, I've got a recommendation of 110 grams of organic pasta flour to one large free range egg. Is that the absolute best way?

This post doesnt start Dear Jamie... (personally I always find those a bit odd too, as if the man has time to hang around in here all day)

I agree with Pete, there are some brilliant chefs lurking these forums & loads of Italians... It does not take a qualified chef to cook great food anyway.. just lots of passion.

Re: Help - How do I make the best lasagna in the world?

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